The present invention generally relates to water treatment and filtration devices for installation on a sink surface or countertop in conjunction with residential plumbing systems for improving the quality of potable water for human consumption. More particularly to a countertop filter faucet comprising a water treatment element incorporated therein.
Water consumers are increasingly aware that public water supplies are contaminated with many undesirable chemicals and microorganisms capable of impairing the health of those who consume the water. For example, water supplies in rural agricultural areas often contain nitrate, herbicide, and pesticide runoff from crop treatment. Most municipalities add chlorine to guard against pathogens in the public water supply. There is much discussion among experts over what concentrations of chlorine, nitrates, and pesticides are considered safe. It is generally acknowledged that the water supply would be better without these chemicals. Similarly, water may contain pathogenic microorganisms such as Rotavirus, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium; which may be removed by filtration and chemical treatment. This increased awareness has motivated development of water treatment devices for residential use as an individually controlled and last stage of treatment before consumption.
Water treatment devices of the prior art designed for use on or above the sink surface or countertop are mostly complex and expensive devices with requirements for installation and periodic filter element replacement being intimidating for those users not mechanically inclined. Embodiments intended to reduce complexity have created sinktop nuisances involving faucet mounted filters, faucet mounted diverter valves with tubing, complex and costly bases with large footprints on the sink or countertop, and inefficient filter elements with short lifespans requiring relatively frequent replacement.
Water filter devices comprising a porous filter element or cartridge designed for insertion within a watertight housing are taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,126,041; 5,656,160; 5685981; 6024867; and 6,464,871. These filter devices require a complex watertight housing for the filter element wherein water flows in and around the filter. The housings on most of these remain pressurized and full of water when not in use. The pressurized housings increase design requirements and manufacturing costs while also increasing the potential for leaks. When not in use, water stagnates within the filter housing developing bacterial slime that accumulates over time. This bacterial slime decreases the lifespan of the filter while simultaneously mixing with the treated water that is consumed. The standing water overflows and spills when the filter element is replaced and the housing interior requires cleaning to remove the accumulated bacteria. The bacterial slime accumulation requiring cleaning and water spillage associated with filter element replacement makes the task unpleasant and often unintentionally serves to discourage filter replacement, further leading to postponing the task, resulting in increased bacterial growth and consumption. Thereby minimizing the otherwise significant benefits of owning and using a water filter.
The countertop water treatment device taught in U.S. Pat. No. 7,354,513 solves many of these problems by introducing use of an inline filter combined with a base while simultaneously introducing new disadvantages. This water treatment device suggests a custom base that is complicated in design and requires a custom filter. The base provides female socket engagement with a male inlet filter fitting. This female base connection with a male inlet filter fitting teaches a base structure with an unnecessarily large outer diameter. This large outer diameter of the base consumes a significant amount of material and countertop space. Thereby creating manufacturing inefficiencies in the form of expensive tooling and machining time, and increasing the potential for water leakage through the engaged threads. Similarly, the custom filter outflow port suggests an inefficient, complicated, and custom spout connection. No parts are standard in these complex embodiments, which require all custom made components that are expensive to manufacture resulting in increased cost and decreased availability.
U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2011/0226679 A1 teaches a faucet mounted water filter adapted for countertop use in a filter faucet design. This embodiment creates a large footprint on the sink surface that has the spout connected to the base in a manner not realizing the advantages in the use of an inline filter. This embodiment introduces a complicated structural design that requires expensive tooling and creates manufacturing inefficiencies.
The MyWell filter faucet introduces a compact and custom design. This custom design requires costly tooling and manufacturing considerations while providing a small filter having a relatively short lifespan. The filter spout connected at the base neither suggests nor realizes the advantages in the use of an inline filter.
A water filter combined with a sink faucet is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,031 by Knauf and U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,130 by Nguyen. The faucet filter taught by Knauf possesses the design and manufacturing inefficiencies mentioned above in relation to a watertight housing for a filter element. Further, Knauf teaches a device having a large footprint on the sink surface requiring a significantly large custom hole that is difficult and costly to make while also increasing the potential for water leakage. Filter replacement requires removing a significantly large and clumsy spout top cover. Nguyen teaches an extremely complicated, costly, and custom faucet spout containing a filter therein. The Nguyen filter similarly being of custom design that increases cost while decreasing availability. Both Knauf and Nguyen teach filter faucets that direct hot water through the water filter even though hot water is known to damage water filter media and may even introduce dangerous bacteria from an improperly set hot water heater. Additionally, water pressure normally provided at the sink faucet is too high for some types of filter media and may create water channels when flowing through the media. Thereby allowing water to flow through without being filtered, completely eliminating the advantages of having the filter.
The filter faucets provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,532,982; 6,641,727; 6941968; and U.S. Application Publication US 2010/0089472 A1 improve upon the disadvantages taught by Knauf and Nguyen by separating the faucet and water supply structure from the sink faucet spout. Each of these shows a filter residing below the countertop that remains accessible from above the countertop for replacement purposes. Each requires structural disassembly or removal of the top portion or spout to replace the filter. Most of these carry over the problems described previously pertaining to a pressurized and watertight filter housing. The slim design being too small for a user's hand to clean the accumulated bacterial slime from within the housing. While the design is slim, it still requires a minimum of about a 1.5-2.0 inch diameter hole in the countertop that is non-standard, must be custom made, must be sealed, and increases the potential for water leakage. All of these require inefficient and custom construction that in most cases is complex and involves costly manufacturing processes for unique and non-standard components. Further, these introduce the potential of water leakage under the sink that may easily go unnoticed by the user feeling secure in having a filter device accessible from above the sink surface while the main body, water compartment, and water connections remain under the counter.
Inline filters exist possessing a watertight shell that remove the need for a separate watertight housing. The watertight shell of these inline water filters typically comprises an axially tubular construction with an inflow port at one end and an outflow port at the other end. Wherein the inflow port and outflow port are generally coaxial.
An example of an inline filter constructed for use within a watertight housing under the counter includes the OmniFilter model GAC1-SS.
Examples of inline filters constructed for use without a separate watertight housing include the Omnipure CL and K series filters. These Omnipure inline filters are designed for use under the counter or supplying water to a refrigerator ice maker, water spigot, drinking fountain, and similar. The Omnipure CL-series filters comprise internally threaded fittings at both the inflow and outflow ports. The Omnipure K-series filters comprise tubular quick-connect fittings at both the inflow and outflow ports. These K-series fluid fittings are intended for a water tubing connection at both ends while the CL internally threaded fittings are for an adapter at both ends for providing tubing connections. Watts Premier provides similar inline filters. Examples of similar inline water filters described in U.S. Patents include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,552,057; 5,882,515; and 6,280,619. A key characteristic shared between these inline filters with their own watertight shell being the identical inflow and outflow port fittings for tubing.
These inline filters are neither intended nor suggested for countertop use. They do not possess an inflow port intended or accessible for secure and releasable fluid attachment with a valve or faucet assembly on the sink surface or countertop. Further, they do not possess an outflow port intended or accessible for a fluid connection with a faucet spout.
As can be seen by the many standard, custom, and mechanically complex varieties available in a crowded field; no attempt has been made to adapt known, reliable, and commercially standard components for combined use together as an efficient and low-cost water treatment and filtration assembly for endpoint consumer use with the added benefit of simplifying filter replacement. The many complex prior art water treatment and filtration devices illustrate the well known fact that complex innovation is easy while operable and efficient simplification is difficult and unintuitive. Therefore, the need exists for reliable, long-lasting, and inexpensive water treatment devices that overcome and simplify the disadvantages of the prior art. Particularly countertop devices having inexpensive and disposable watertight filter cartridges that are readily available and easily replaceable, which do not detract from the aesthetics and utility of the sink and surrounding countertop areas.